Dr. Gala 
What is Depression?
If you ask a group of people who’ve suffered from clinical depression to define the illness, you’ll hear a variety of answers. Depression is a very personal experience that millions of people all over the world experience.
Different people manifest different symptoms, but one thing is certain: depression is a difficult illness that can destroy your life if left unresolved.
Many people with depression describe it as a sense of despair that engulfs everything they do and everything they feel.
If you think being depressed is akin to feeling sad because your favorite team just lost the championship game, you really have no idea what suffering from a true depression is like. Depression is much deeper and more invasive than sadness or frustration.
Depression takes everything away from you; it saps your energy, focus, concentration, and especially your joy. You just don’t care about anything; nothing matters, and even the people you love become unimportant.
If you’re depressed for a long time, you become accustomed to the feeling, and any other emotion becomes unfamiliar and even frightening.
Physical Concerns of Depression
Depression doesn’t only take its toll on your emotions and mental state; it can cause serious physical problems as well.
Depression may cause you to either lose your appetite or eat incessantly. It also zaps your energy and motivation.
When you’re depressed, you tend to become inactive. This alone can cause a number of problems, but when added to some of the other physical side effects of depression, it’s easy to see why depression is such a serious illness.
In addition, depression can lead to:
- 1. Lack of sleep. Depression can cause insomnia, which strips the body of the necessary sleep to function properly.
- 2. Poor nutrition. When depressed, many people fail to take in proper nutrients. It takes too much effort to plan and prepare a meal. This can cause several health problems.
- 3. Aches and pains. If anyone tells you that your mental state does not affect your physical state, they’re wrong. When you’re depressed, the chemicals in the brain that signal pain are as affected as those in your brain that help you feel happy.
- Physical aches and pains are increased, which kicks in the sad feelings, and the cycle begins again.
- 4. Hygiene issues. Someone suffering from depression doesn’t have the energy or the motivation to be concerned with self-care.
What are the Symptoms of Depression?
These are some specific things those with depression experience:
- Constant and severe sadness about everything
- Hopelessness
- Insomnia or trouble sleeping
- Irritability
- Trouble concentrating
- Loss of interest in things that once interested them
- Feeling worthless, useless, and strangely guilty for no reason at all
- Serious change in weight, one way or the other
- Lack of energy and fatigue
One thing about depression is certain: it’s a serious condition and should be taken seriously.
As depression progresses, it feeds on itself like a snowball rolling downhill. The longer someone is depressed, the worse the depression gets until they see no way out of it at all. They become resigned to being miserable all the time.
Depression can be caused by a certain event, the change of seasons, a loss of someone close, or even a chemical imbalance in the brain. The treatment for depression usually involves counseling or medication that helps alter brain chemistry.
If you know someone who is depressed, the best thing you can do is be his or her friend. Talk to them and help them through this period. Help them seek medical care to treat their illness.
If you think you may be depressed, talk to a health care provider. Depression doesn’t have to ruin your life! With help and support, you can conquer your depression, move past it, and go on to live a joyful life.
Depression is a serious issue many people forget about today. I grew up in a household that was not educated about depression and how it can negatively affect your life and the people around you. It can even lead to suicide. This article will definitely help people understand it better.
Thank you for taking the time to read this article. I agree that depression is a serious issue, and it’s essential to understand how it can affect people in their day-to-day life.
I’m glad the article was helpful for you, Daniel. Please let us know if there are any other articles or blog posts we could send your way that might be of interest!
Depression is a serious and very real condition. I just hate to hear people weigh in on whether another person is truly depressed or just being dramatic. After losing my mother and brother to suicide, I will never ask that question again. I think you are correct to point out that the best thing we can do is be there for them and encourage them to seek treatment. However, it’s important to remember that we are not responsible for their actions (or lack of action). It’s taken me a long time to come to terms with that. Thank you for posting on this important subject.
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your thoughts, Cynthia. I’m sorry to hear about your losses and glad that you’ve found peace in this challenging situation.
You’re right that depression is a severe condition, and it’s important not to underestimate its reach or severity. Depression can be treated with therapy, medication, mindfulness techniques, etc., but only if someone recognizes their symptoms and steps towards treatment. We’re very sorry that many people are still reluctant to talk about mental health issues – we hope our post has helped make them less taboo!
Depression is indeed a silent killer, mainly because so many people do not regard it as an illness even the person suffering from it, may take long to realize that they have this disease.
Also there is stigma associated with the disease making it difficult for people to come out and seek for help.
Can a person who finds fault in everything be considered to be suffering from depression?
Thank you for reading and taking the time to leave a review, Ann. Depression can be hard to diagnose because it often comes with no physical symptoms. But if you’re experiencing any of the following, there’s a good chance that depression is at play:
– Feelings of sadness or irritability for more than two weeks
– Loss of interest in activities once enjoyed
– Changes in appetite or weight
– Trouble sleeping or sleeping too much
– Feeling restless and agitated all day long
If you message me your best email, I’ll be more than happy to provide more information, including materials to learn more about depression. You can reach out to me here.